Vertically adjustable back for chairs



y 1950 c. J. J. KUEBLER 2,509,102

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BACK FOR CHAIRS Filed April 1, 1948 ,2 Sheets-Sheet l Carl J. J. Kueb/er INVENTOR.

BY puma-a 2,509,102 BLER C. J. J. KUE I RS May 23, VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BACK FOR CHAI ts sheet 2 2 Shee Filed April 1, 1948 II II l Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED szmrszs PATENT" osmos- 1* Carr-J. J; Kuebler, Evansville, Ind;

Apnficati n-Anr l 1., 948, Serial No.- 18A)? inventio npertains to. novel. and.- useful i prov m n s... i hair A obje o this. iny ntioni is to selectiv y rais and. ow t e. back. por ion oi an oth rwi o venti nal. heir and. maintain the back. portion in he. sel c ed raised or lowered. position.

An her obj ct of. this inventionis to provide im rov d m ansior. carryi g, out the. above. men.- tioned. function,

A st l. her object r this. invention. is to pro e a pair. of. ears for coop r ion wi h a a a ks, which a e rigidly secure o t i m mbe s. oi heoha r and. which, racks a ots the ei for accommoda ion. of. p ns which pins are in turn, seoll edto thesides, of. a

i h gea s bein eneaeeablewith. therrack-s following the description of the preierred form of the, invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure *1 is a perspectiyavieweqf the mechanism utilized in association with and forminga part of the: present invention; V

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the broken;li 11 e--2.2; 0ffE l1l1e1.1and in the direction. of the arrows;

Eigure 3 is a sectional viewoia typical chair utiligediwith, the present inyention;

Figure 4 is. an enlarged; detail; of construction taken substantially on the 1ine..4t=l of Figure 3 and in the direction ofthe arrows, and;

Figure 5 is asectionatview:tahemsubstantially on the line 5-5 of Figuredand in the direction- Qf thearrpws.

This invention relates to improvements in various types of chairs, particularly articles of furniture for domiciles. The general purpose of the present invention is to raise and lower the chair back with ease and facility by simple manipulation of a handle which is positioned adjacent the arm rest of the chair.

A conventional chair generally indicated at I0 is illustrated having sides [2 (which include the 2; chair base) and. a chair hank IJL. T is, chair back (see Figur 1). hasa pairQflacke-ears. lit and. M respectively. secured, to alternate. sides. thereof,

Pairs of pins, 20, 22; and 2.4.,2daresupp1ied-on opposite sides 12: of. the. chair. and are r c ivedin slots.28 and. 3% respectively which'aretermed in the said'rack gears l6. and. lit. Screws were p ed through. holes; 2. imtheraok. gears LG and 1.8- and are scouted. to the. hack. 1.4.- 01. the. chair thereby fixing the rack gears to. thebacls. By the above described: structure, it is? readilyan parent thatthe chair hackv may be slidahle in. a

selected orbit of, travel by meansoi the pins, c0- operfating; with. the. said slots; Further, the. rack gears. 1.6 and. [dare maintainedim place; through 1e utility of brackets or s-uidesan havmg. substantially U-shaped portions 34 clampineiy, ens gaged: with. thesaid. rack. gears; l6, and. 118., The brackets '32 are. fastened by. screws or: theliketo the sides I2 ofthe, chain,

A. shaft-,. preferablys uare; is: illustrated. ii,- and has bearings 3.8 and imresgectively; secured to oppositeends, thereon, 'Ilhese: bearings: are adapted to.seat in; the. structure;-ofg the-sides, IQ for reciprocationyof thesaidrsherft 35. Amhandle; 42 is.- secured. to the. saidshaitt 35G adifi entlonea end thereof, and it is desirable that. the: said. handle terminatein a-eonrenientpos-itioh forcetuation from. within thechais H1;

A p r eecemtrialinks te ands. respectiveln are seeur dtotthe shafhfiiandhare nitmam rods 41$. and 59: resnectivelwarfn prmidedzwithbifurcateci ends: 52 and. 54; respectively: which anesecured to saidzeccentncglinkslkand tit. saidpitman-rods 48 anddmarezguidediimthein travelbyni ansmf guides; 62; whicln'arezsecnreit to, the. saidsides {E2 otithesseiw (toastsma tion; I10;

Bifnroations; 64 are; supplied. at: he free end" of; he.- aid. nitman; rods; 4mm: 59 im order:- to piv t tlyr eite adoezfih in eaohzseti of hifurca tions. Y The said dogs-J5 cooperate: voithgratchett gear: 6.35 which, are: securedi tozatsqna'ra shaft: m; Said: square: shatt: It is. jonrnalledr in: the saith sides: i 2203 the: chairrconsthuctiomtfl :bnmeans on bearings- 122. These: bearings are: of; courses. see

cured to the terminalmortion. oirthe saich shaft; 18;: and. are maintainedt in. places means, of conventionalinuts Hi. Relativelysl arge gearss The and '78 respectively are secured to the said shaft l0 and are enmeshed with the racks l6 and I8.

It may now be seen that by rotation of the said 1 of the ratchet gear in the reciprocatory movement of the pitman rods 48 and 50. By this means, the ratchet gears 68 are rotated, thereby rotating the shaft and effecting the proper desired rotation of the said gears 16 and 18. In order to maintain the ratchet gears and consequently the back M of the said chair construction in the desired position, a keeper 80 is secured to the said sides l2 by means of a conventional screw 82. This keeper is juxtaposed relative to the teeth of the ratchet gear 68 and is adapted to engage these teeth until acted upon by an outside force. The outside force in this instance are the protuberances 84 and 86 respectively which are formed integral with the said pitman rod 48. Upon manipulation of the handle 42 and consequent reciprocatory movement of the pitman rods 48 and 50- respectively, the ratchet gears '68 are moved tooth by tooth, thereby lifting the back of the chair. However, when it is desired to return the chair to the relatively low position, the handle 42 is actuated a relatively great amount until the protuberances 84 and 86 operatively engage the keepers 80, thereby pivoting them in an out-of-contact relation with the teeth of the said ratchet gears. This of course, permits the weight of the back I4 to return the same to the lowermost position.

It will be noted that the keeper 80 constantly engages the teeth of the ratchet gear 68 during the normal raising of the chair back l4. However, upon an unusual amount of turn of the shaft 36 in the selected direction, the keepers 80 will be rendered in out-of-contaot relation with the teeth of the said ratchet gears.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A chair having sides and a back, racks secured to said back and having longitudinal slots, means associated with said racksfor raising said back and maintaining it in selected positions and for lowering the :back, said means including a shaft journalled in the sides, a gear journalled on one of the sides and enmeshed with one of said racks, a pitman, means for eccentrically securing the said pitman to said shaft, a ratchet gear movable with said gear, means on said pitman adapted to engage said ratchet gear, a dog pivoted to one of said sides and engaging said ratchet gear, and means secured to said sides for slidably journalling said racks in said slots.

2. A chair having sides and a back, racks secured to said back and having longitudinal slots, means associated with said racks for raising said back and maintaining it in selected positions and for lowering the back, said means including a shaft journalled in the sides, a gear journalled on one of the sides and enmeshed with one of said racks, a pitman, means for eccentrically securing the said pitman to said shaft, a ratchet gear movable with said gear, means on said pitman adapted to engage said ratchet gear, a dog pivoted to one of said sides and engaging said ratchet gear, means secured to said sides for slidably journalling said sides in said slots, and means connected with said pitman for actuating said dog.

3. A chair having sides and a back, racks secured to said back and having longitudinal slots,

means associated with said racks for raising said back and maintaining it in selected positions and for lowering the back, said means including a shaft journalled in the sides, a gear journalled on one of the sides and enmeshed with one of said racks, a pitman, means for eccentrically securing the said pitman to said shaft, a ratchet gear movable with said gear, means on said pitman adapted to engage said ratchet gear, a dog pivoted to one of said sides and engaging said ratchet gear, means secured to said sides for slidably journalling said racks in said slots, and a protuberance formed on said pitman for actuatingly engaging said dog upon movement of said pitman.

4. A chair having sides and a back, racks secured to said back and having longitudinal slots, means associated with said racks for raising said back and maintaining it in selected positions and for lowering the back, said means including a shaft journalled in the sides, a gear journalled on one of the sides and enmeshed with one of said racks, a pitman, means for eccentrically securing the said pitman to said shaft, a ratchet gear movable with said gear, means on said pitman adapted to engage said ratchet gear, a dog pivoted to one of said sides and engaging said ratchet gear, means secured to said sides for slidably journalling said racks in said slots, a protuberance formed on said pitman for actuatingly engaging said dog upon movement of said pitman, and a handle secured to said shaft adjacent one of said sides for actuating said shaft.

5. A chair having sides and a back, racks secured to said back and having longitudinal slots, means associated with said racks for raising said back and maintaining it in selected positions and for lowering the back, said means including a shaft journalled in the sides, a gear journalled on one of thesides and enmeshed with one of said racks, a pitman, means for eccentrically securing the said pitman to said shaft, a ratchet gear movable with said gear, means on said pitman adapted to engage said ratchet gear, a dog pivoted to one of said sides and engaging said ratchet gear, means secured to said sides for slidably journalling said racks in said slots, a protuberance formed on said pitman for actuatingly engaging said dog upon movement of said pitman, and means secured to said sides for guiding said pitman rod.

CARL J. J. KUEBLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 831,571 .Stanley Sept. 25, 1906 1,256,856 Wittwer Feb. 19, 1918 1,341,192 Oppenheim May 25, 1920 2,308,714 Ralston Jan. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 441,555 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1936 

